urban:masala

WW Weigh-In: Week 1

urban masala on 12 13, 2008

I completed my first week on Weight Watchers (WW) and what a fabulous week it was; successful beyond my wildest dreams. My goal for this week was to lose between 3 and 5 pounds, so imagine how overjoyed I was to realise that I had dropped 10.2 (see photo above). Yep! That’s right people - 10.2 pounds! And for this feat, I actually received not one, but two five-pound stars on my first week. And just think, I haven’t even started my exercise regimen yet (the 8 Activity Points (APs) in my stats below are from doing housework — and I didn’t even use them). Simply awesome! Now mind you, I do realise that the majority of this weight loss is fluid and, dare I say — poo poo. I figure I probably lost somewhere between 3 and 4 pounds of actual fat, but that’s how it always starts for me; excess fluids and crap are always released first during the initial process.

At today’s meeting, the new Momentum plan was introduced and explained. I think Momentum is a good thing and am completely on board with it. Until now, WW offered two basic plans, the Points System and the Core System. On the Points System you’re allowed to choose whatever foods you want up to your points limit, you just have to count the points and subtract them from your overall total. With the Core System, you are allowed to eat until you feel satisfied; however, you must select your choices from the WW healthy foods list, which is quite extensive.

The new Momentum plan effectively merges the two plans - the Daily Points limit (based on age, weight, height and lifestyle) is still in full effect, including the 35 additional Weekly Allowance Points (WAPs), but you are encouraged to make healthier choices from foods that have been designated as “Filling” (keep you full and satisfied longer). These foods have been marked with a green diamond in the new pamphlets and on eTools (located on the WW site and available to all Monthly Pass members at no charge). I fully embrace this strategic weight loss concept. Before joining WW I had already decided to transition to a healthier eating style, along with counting points, so the Momentum Plan is perfect for me.

All of this is confirmation that choosing WW was the right thing to do and that it will definitely work for me if I work it. I mean, a system that allows me to enjoy my favourite foods and still lose an appreciable amount of weight; what more can one ask for? Not only was I able to stay on program the entire week, I actually finished with 7.5 WAPs and 8 APs to spare. I already knew that planning and cooking my own meals would automatically jump-start my weight loss efforts, but I had no idea what a huge difference it would make — and so quickly.

All week I enjoyed a variety of fruit and veggies, cheese, granola bars, and generous portions of dishes like Chicken & Shrimp Curry with rice, Asian Shrimp & Chicken Soup (I will be posting recipes, and their points values, soon) and lots of other tasty foods. Heck, I even had a small brownie and a miniature piece of cheese cake at the office yesterday. Okay?!

It’s so nice to be able to eat the foods I love and not feel deprived. This is freaking awesome! I decided to celebrate this success by rewarding myself with a couple of glasses of my beloved Merlot (8 oz. each at 6.5 total points) and cheese (4 oz. at 7.5 total points). Nothing major, just two things that I enjoy very much and I haven’t had wine in eons. I will simply deduct 14 points from my 35 WAPs for this week. Hey, gotta have a plan, right? And let’s not forget that I am setting aside $10 for each pound I lose, so I already have $100 in my weight loss rewards account. If I continue this momentum (pun intended), I’ll have that new Blackberry or iPhone before I know it.

Here are my points stats for last week (from WW eTools):

Well, that’s pretty much it for now. After today’s meeting I did all of my grocery shopping for the week and now I must get busy preparing next week’s meals. My weight loss goal for next weigh-in is between three and five pounds. Let’s see how it goes…

Rewards Account Current Balance: $100.00